Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/153

 and built her an hermitage outside the city, whither she retired and became a religious, weeping and bewailing her husband till she died. And her hermitage is seen to this day in the suburbs of Hirah. They also tell a tale of DI'IBIL AL-KHUZA'I WITH THE LADY AND MUSLIM BIN AL-WALID.

Quoth Di'ibil al Khuzá'i [FN#181], "I was sitting one day at the gate of Al Karkh, [FN#182] when a damsel came past. Never saw I a fairer faced or better formed than she, walking with a voluptuous swaying gait and ravishing all beholders with her lithe and undulating pace. Now as my eyes fell on her, I was captivated by her and my vitals trembled and meseemed my heart flew forth of my breast; so I stood before her and I accosted her with this verse,

'The tears of these eyes find easy release; * But sleep flies these eyelids without surcease.'

Whereon she turned her face and looking at me, straightway made answer with this distich,

'A trifle this an his eyes be sore, * When her eyes say 'yes' to his love's caprice!'

I was astounded at the readiness of her reply and the fluency of her speech and rejoined with this verse,

'Say, cloth heart of my fair incline to him * Whose tears like a swelling stream increase?'

And she answered me without hesitation, thus,

'If thou crave our love, know that love's a loan; * And a debt to be paid by us twain a piece.'

Never entered my ears aught sweeter than her speech nor ever saw